SpiceLines

Green garlic is a sure sign of spring. Around here it lands on the market tables in late April and keeps coming for much of May. The pearly, immature bulbs, not yet separated into cloves, are topped with green stalks that can be surprisingly long. The inner leaves are quite tender. Often a curly garlic scape—the green shoot that first emerges from the soil—is still attached.

The lovely part about green garlic is that when you sauté it gently, it becomes sweet and nutty. I often just slice the bulb and inner leaves very thin and cook them slowly in olive oil. This makes a delicious side dish for say, soft shell crabs. But you can also use sautéed green garlic as the vegetable base for an easy soup. Add boiled new potatoes to give it a little heft and just before serving, make a well in the simmering broth and add a whole egg for each person. A sprig or two of fresh dill lightens the rich flavor of the soup.

Can you say, “Dinner is served? “ Well, very soon.

Green garlic often resembles young leeks with very long leaves. At this stage, the immature bulb has not yet separated into cloves. Curly garlic scapes (the first green shoots to emerge from the soil) are a delicious addition to the soup.

Green Garlic Soup with New Potatoes and Poached Egg

To Serve 4

Ingredients:

3 or more large stalks green garlic, enough to make 3 cups finely chopped bulbs and tender inner leaves
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound new potatoes, boiled until tender and sliced
7 cups homemade chicken broth
Sea salt to taste
4 large eggs
Fresh dill for garnish

Method:

1. Strip off the tough outer leaves of the green garlic and cut away the roots. Swish the garlic in cold water to remove any grit.
2. Starting at the bulb end, finely slice the garlic. Work your way up the tender stalk, including an inch or two of the inner green leaves. If there are any curly garlic scapes, detach them. Keep them whole and reserve for garnish. There should be a total 3 cups of chopped green garlic.
3. Heat a large saucepan over a medium flame. When it is hot, add the olive oil. When it is warm, add the chopped green garlic and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook the garlic, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes, until it is soft and the white parts are translucent. Do not let it brown—reduce the flame if necessary.
4. Add the sliced new potatoes to the pot and stir with the garlic for 1 minute.
5. Pour in the chicken broth. Raise the heat just until the soup boils and then reduce it so that the broth remains at a cheerful simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Add salt to taste.
6. If there are any garlic scapes in reserve, add them to the broth and simmer for another minute.
7. Just before serving, make a little well in the soup. Crack an egg and slip it carefully into the broth. Repeat with the remaining 3 eggs, making a separate well for each one. Let the eggs simmer undisturbed for 3 or 4 minutes, until they are cooked, but the yolks are still runny.
8. To serve, using a large slotted spoon, gently remove one egg and place it in a soup bowl. Ladle some of the broth, potatoes and green garlic around it. Repeat with the remaining 3 bowls. Garnish each bowl with a sprig of dill and serve at once.